Aston Villa have won Rafael Leão over, with the Portuguese star choosing a move to the Premier League over Galatasaray.
That is the big update from Portugal on Thursday afternoon. Record say they know the AC Milan attacker has picked Aston Villa as his next club.
The decision comes after a big push from the Villans on Wednesday night. It also follows talks involving the player’s camp on Thursday.
There is still work to do on the numbers, but Leão has apparently made his choice.
Leão chooses Aston Villa
Record say Leão will leave Milan to wear an Aston Villa shirt. Galatasaray had pushed hard for the 27-year-old and were offering him significantly more money. Their proposal was worth €12m (£10.4m) per year.
That wasn’t enough to win the race. According to Record, Aston Villa’s move on Wednesday night convinced Leão. His preference for playing in the Premier League has been mentioned repeatedly throughout the saga.
The Portuguese newspaper puts Villa’s current salary offer at €6.5m (£5.6m) per season. Crucially, they add that figure could still be improved during Thursday.
Record also back up the structure of the deal we have previously covered. Aston Villa would initially take Leão on loan for close to €8m (£6.9m), with an obligation to buy. The whole operation would come close to Milan’s €50m (£43.2m) asking price.
So Milan were happy with the offers on the table, leaving Leão’s decision as the major issue. He now appears to have made it.
There has also been a personal push from Unai Emery. Gianluigi Longari reports the Aston Villa manager has been actively involved in the pursuit of Leão. The pair spoke late on Thursday morning.
During that call, Emery presented his plans to the Portuguese star and explained the central role he would have at Villa Park. “The coach outlined to Leão the project in which he would be the protagonist”, he said.
Aston Villa still working on the numbers
There are slightly different versions of Aston Villa’s latest offer elsewhere in Portugal.
Bola na Rede cite Gianluca Di Marzio as saying the Villans have offered €42m (£36.3m) plus €3m (£2.6m) in bonuses. They also relay information from Yağız Sabuncuoğlu that Villa have improved their salary proposal to €8m (£6.9m) net per season.
The precise figures therefore vary depending on the source. The direction of travel doesn’t. Aston Villa have spent Thursday working to improve their package and get Leão over the line.
For the Villans, the most important part may already be sorted. Record’s information has the player choosing Birmingham despite the much bigger salary available in Turkey.
Amorim opens the door for exit
Ruben Amorim wasn’t prepared to confirm Leão’s departure during his press conference on Thursday, but he didn’t exactly fight against the idea either.
Asked about the attacker’s situation, the Milan manager said he would explain everything once the transfer window closes.
“Leão is a great player. I’ve said in the past that with the right mentality he could play for any team in the world,” Amorim said, according to O Jogo.
“But that’s precisely the mentality that’s needed. Sometimes in football, it’s better to go somewhere else, and we’re in the middle of that situation.”
Leão won’t face Venezia on Friday. Amorim said the forward has trained only once and isn’t in the right condition to play.
A few hours ago, Aston Villa still needed to convince the player after having their first contract proposal turned down. Record now say they have done exactly that.
There are details left to sort out, but Thursday’s developments have put Unai Emery’s side in a much stronger position to get their man.
